


Home Is Where The Heart Is

by LibertyBelleAnne



Category: Castle (TV 2009)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:15:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28272249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LibertyBelleAnne/pseuds/LibertyBelleAnne
Summary: The 12th Precinct is a safe haven for the officers that work within its walls until it's not.
Kudos: 4





	Home Is Where The Heart Is

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own any New York City Homicide Detectives or their writer.

**Home Is Where The Heart Is**

It was a boring morning at the 12th Precinct. With no open murder cases needing attention, the homicide detectives were dragging their way through piles of paperwork. Ryan, the most by the book, was the closest to being finished. He stretched from his seat, feeling a satisfying crack in his spine. His partner shook his head in disgust hearing the unnatural sound. "That's not right, man."

"Just for that I won't grab you more coffee," Ryan taunted with a smile as he headed to the breakroom and the life-saving coffee machine.

"Come on dude, don't tease me like that. I'm dying over here," The dark-haired man whined from the large pile of work he still needed to finish.

"You know if you kept up on it more it wouldn't be such a pain in the ass," Ryan walked back towards him carrying two steaming cups of coffee.

"You're a Saint!" He called without looking up, knowing his partner wouldn't let him down. He reached out his hand behind him to grab the expected mug of liquid energy.

Ryan's sarcastic reply was cut short as someone came up behind him and grabbed him around the throat. He felt the cold muzzle of a gun dig into the side of his head. Esposito jerked up at the sound of a commotion just in time to see his partner being grabbed. He was up out of his chair with his own gun drawn before the coffee mugs even hit the floor with a shatter. The man with the gun on his partner jerked back away from the splash of the steaming liquid, pulling painfully at his hostage. Ryan gave a pained gasp through his compressed windpipe, trying to pull more oxygen into his burning lungs.

When the Irish detective tried to reach for his own weapon, the one at his head dug in deep enough to bruise. He stilled instantly and met his partner's flinty look. The man slowly strangling him at gunpoint finally noticed the threat in front of him. He pulled his weapon away from Ryan's head long enough to aim at Esposito in a warning to back off.

Ryan's lips began to take on a bluish tint as he struggled to breathe. His blue eyes were starting to bug out against the pressure being placed on his body. Esposito locked eyes with him with a nod, letting his partner know he was going to get him out of this mess.

The man holding a cop hostage in his own precinct was beginning to get nervous as the reality of his situation began to sink in. He was inexperienced but desperate, which is what made him more dangerous. The cops surrounding him with weapons drawn weren't sure what the man would do in his unstable state. With one of their own on the line, they were not taking any chances. Javi most of all intended to save his partner's life.

The twitchy hostage holder brought the gun back up to his victim's head as he took in the policemen and women all around him. Kevin's body was beginning to rebel against the lack of oxygen. His muscles were losing strength causing the arm at his neck to tighten more to try and compensate his dead weight.

"Hey man, keep that thing pointed at me," Javi let his threat trail off with a feral smile, "cause if you don't…"

"What you gonna do about it, you dirty pig?"

"This," The detective was in his space and had him disarmed and knocked to the ground before his partner's unconscious form hit the floor. Javi had the smaller man in his arms as he gasped for air through his bruised windpipe. The rest of the squad room had his partner's assailant in cuffs and out of sight before Esposito had a chance to use up some more of his murderous rage, for hurting his partner, on the man. Revenge was a concern for a later time. He had a greater concern to attend to.

He lightly tapped Ryan's pale cheek, hoping to rouse the other man. He needed to know his best friend would be okay. Glassy blue eyes opened a crack as the smaller detective began hacking painful coughs that seemed to wrack through his whole body. His shaking hand weakly grabbed Espisito's sleeve, holding fast as he rode out the painful ride of coughs ripping through his battered throat.

"Hey man, just take it easy," Javi soothed as he propped his buddy up, against his own strong chest, to try and get him better airflow. He rubbed his back as the coughing fit died down, "You okay, Kev?"

Ryan nodded his head against his friend's shoulder with a grimace. His head felt too heavy to lift from laying against Javi. He croaked out his gratitude, "Thanks, Javi."

Javi almost lost his partner in what should be the safest place for them. Their prescient was their sanctuary, a place where bad guys shouldn't be able to touch them. Javi could be forgiven after that trauma for his moment of weakness in the middle of the squad room floor. He pulled his partner into a tight hug, relishing the sound of his heartbeat and the feel of his breath, "Till the wheel fall off, bro."


End file.
